Taking center stage at FutureLogic’s stand this year is the new Ticket2Go solution, which enables slot operators to replace coin payout technology with a simple ticket-based solution
FutureLogic, with its printing and couponing solutions, has been a mainstay in the Asian gaming market since opening its office in Macau in 2006. Its latest innovation, Ticket2Go, will be the focal point as the company returns to G2E Asia.
Ticket2Go is new to Asian gaming markets. The solution offers a networkless ticket-out payment solution for machines that have a serial or parallel coin hopper, making it the only ticket-out payment solution that works with both state-of-the-art as well as legacy machines.
Multilingual and multi-currency, the Ticket2Go solution can be installed across multiple sites enabling operators to replace coin payout technology with a simple ticket-based solution. With the addition of the Ticket2Go Cash Redemption Module which can be integrated with any third-party cash redemption terminal, FutureLogic offers a secure and automated solution for small to medium-sized operations or venues.
The product originally was launched at London’s ICE show in 2012, then spread to European markets. John Edmunds, FutureLogic’s vice president of global product management and international markets, said market-specific adjustments were performed to make the Ticket2Go ready for Asia.
“We’ve now been able to develop the product so it’s applicable toward the Asia market and we’re very excited about showing it off at G2E Asia for the first time,” said Mr Edmunds. “In Europe they have a lot of what they call amusement with prizes games. These are much lower-cost products, much more about entertainment than just gambling. They’re really kind of a cross between an amusement game and a slot machine.
“That market’s quite distinct, and there are more than a million of those games in Europe. It doesn’t exist in Asia. Asia really is a slot market, and it just depends on whether they’re large casinos or small clubs. So there’s a difference in product and there’s a difference in market segmentation. So we’ve had to make different developments in the product to make it applicable toward that market.”
The key benefit to small-to-medium-sized operations is the ability to turn machines with coin payouts to ticket pays. That enables operators to get rid of coin inventory and reduce coin-handling time. With redemption behind the bar for small operations, it eases collections for route operators and saves time, freeing operators to interact with customers.
While Ticket2Go is new and FutureLogic is eager to show it off, the company’s full line of ticketing solutions will be on display at G2E Asia. That includes the Gen2 Universal Printer that earlier this year won the Inside Asian Gaming Supplier Award for “Best Electronic Gaming Peripheral – Printer”. It’s interoperable with gaming devices from all manufacturers, allowing operators to use a single printer throughout their slot floor. The Gen2 Intelligent Bezel System uses blocked bezel detection to reduce paper jams, and tickets are fully printed and burst before being made available to the player.
FutureLogic will also present the PromoNet promotional couponing solution. Installed in 12 locations worldwide, it’s a template-based solution that helps casinos design and manage a wide range of promotional campaigns from the convenience of a workstation PC, and turns ordinary slot tickets into eye-catching coupons. It also enables operators to tailor rewards to all players, regardless of whether they have or are using a loyalty card.
PromoNet enables operators to tailor rewards to all players, regardless of whether they have or are using a loyalty card.
Promotional triggers work in real time, and PromoNet can link game-play metrics and slot promotions directly to player behavior. FutureLogic suggests that can boost players club sign-up, extend the time players spend on the games and increase slot revenues.
Promotional coupons can be issued from the slots automatically, based on game-play behavior that meets preset conditions, or manually via the casino’s host issuing on-demand coupons through mobile computing solutions.
At G2E Asia 2013, FutureLogic also will showcase PromoNet’s newest module, PromoNet Online. It links land-based game play with online promotions and rewards.
And along with the reliable Gen2 Universal Printer, FutureLogic will showcase the Gen3 Evolution Printer. Introduced in 2010, the Gen3 more than doubles the ticket capacity in what FutureLogic says is the fastest printer in gaming. With precision grayscale printing, advanced multiport architecture and direct system connection over TCP/IP, the Gen3 also offers an optional onboard promotional network adaptor. For uses away from the gaming machines, there’s the CouponXpress Printer that takes all of the Gen2 functions and flexibility to the cashier’s cage, hotel front desk, kiosks or other transaction points.
It’s a product line with a proven record of success in Asia.
“We’ve been in this market for seven years,” Mr Edmunds said. “We’ve been very lucky, we’ve got a great team and great products, and we’ve been very successful.”
